Signs Up! Surf and Swim safely
3 September 2019

Two young beach visitors checking out the water quality results on the newly installed electronic sign at Castlerock beach

The €1m EU funded SWIM (System for Bathing Water Quality Monitoring) Project has just overseen the installation of electronic beach signage at each of their 9 designated cross–border beaches.

SWIM combines the expertise of University College Dublin,
Agri–Food & Biosciences Institute and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The new electronic signage will enable beach users to have access to the latest water quality results, upon arrival at their chosen beach, reducing the public’s uncertainty regarding bathing water quality.

The project is funded under the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme,
which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.

It has been provided match–funding by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in Ireland.

“The new electronic signage installed by the EU SWIM project is an exciting development and will be of huge benefit to the public,”
said Dr Rosemarie Gannon, the EU SWIM Project manager, based at University College Dublin. “At a time of a lot of uncertainty surrounding bathing water quality, at certain beaches on the island of Ireland, this network of electronic signs gives reassurance to beach users at specific beaches that their bathing water is clean. The nine electronic signs provide regular updates on the bathing water quality and is a novel way of delivering useful information to the public. The electronic signage also plays a role in protecting public health, promoting tourism and helping to sustain local economies.”

Each electronic sign has been conveniently installed at the entrance to its respective EU SWIM Project beach.

More information about the project can be found at https://swimproject.eu or via our Facebook and Twitter accounts @EUSWIMProject, and our free app can be downloaded from the Apple and Google Play stores.

“I’m delighted that our Blue Flag beach, in Clogherhead, has been chosen for this Project,” said Tom Cunningham, Councillor for Drogheda Rural, Co Louth. “This project is a step forward in how we promote our beach for tourism, and will support good management of the beach to help protect public health and help us monitor environmental standards more closely and in a timely manner. Best of all, the public can be kept informed through the EU SWIM App, website, text alerts and most importantly through this new electronic signage at the beach. I am confident that Clogherhead having maintained it’s
‘excellent’ water quality status for many years now, will continue to do so, which will encourage even more bathers to visit our beach.”

The newly installed electronic beach signage will provide water quality results for beach users, providing peace of mind for great days out, whilst promoting our fantastic coastline to visiting tourists.